St. Nicolai Notes

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 18: Third Tuesday
Mark 10:17-31 (especially verses 23-27)

     Jesus, many of us have been trained to believe that a few easy steps guarantees us a place in heaven, but you instruct that participation in your reign is hard, especially for the rich. Since many of us are rich, we are scared by and resist such instruction.
     We easily forget that You gave this instruction as You were taking a roundabout journey to the cross. We easily forget that You and your disciples were living with minimal creature comforts as You moved from place to place, ministering to those in need, and declaring the arrival of God's reign. And we forget that You called on them to trust only You.
     Even they, who gave up so much to follow You, were shocked by your instruction. Like them, we tend to equate wealth and blessing, and fail to see that many times wealth becomes a great diversion from full-hearted trust in You.
     Forgive us for frequently trusting in our wealth instead of in You. Enable us to relinquish all that obstructs our trust. Enable us to walk the way of service and sacrifice to which You call all of your disciples. Amen.